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Bahamas Determined To Take NYC By Storm

Caribbean Tourism Week is underway in New York City and The Bahamas already has its eyes set on taking a huge chunk of the tourism pie.

Caribbean Week is a signature event of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), which celebrates the sights, sounds and unique destination experiences of the Caribbean.

The Bahamas – a leading destination in the Caribbean – is no different and wants the world to see why millions of visitors flock to its shores every year.

Area Management of NY Bahamas Tourism Office Mikala Moss says The Bahamas has much to learn about attracting tourists.

“The Bahamas is here in full force, as are many of the member countries. We are here in New York because there’s so much to learn in terms of what Manhattan does in terms of attracting tourists,” Moss said.

“There are only approximately nine million residents on the island of Manhattan, however they get approximately 56.5 million visitors a year. If we could just get a slice of those visitors to jump on a two and a half hour flight and come down to the Bahamas, how wonderful it would be for them to visit not just Nassau but our 700 islands and 2000 cays to really know why we think it’s better in The Bahamas.”

The Bahamas is participating in a number of signature events. These events include, Student Colloquium, Media Marketplace, Rum & Rhythm and Caribbean Tourism Awards. The Bahamas is also hosting two signature events, Party in The Backyard, Date Night to bring a dollop of The Bahamas to the city.

Moss said the response has been exceptional.

“Our feedback has been phenomenal, far exceeding the numbers we have space for,” she said.

“Our romance event (Date Night) we were targeting 125 persons and we have about 160 people on the guest lists. We are looking to host a beautiful date night for people who are in love, for people who are married and thinking about getting married.”

As it relates to the party in the backyard, Moss said she was expecting 250 guests but so far 350 people have RSVP’d.

“We encourage them to come out and just relax and chill out,” she said.

“We are trying to bring a bit of the Bahamas to New York and have them sample some Bahamian food and maybe drink a little Bahamian beer.”

Bahamian artists will also perform live at the party.

Moss said the Ministry of Tourism is also targeting the business community.

“It’s not just beach, sun and sand but we want to tap into the financial industry as well,” she said.

Caribbean Week ends on Sunday with the Caribbean Rocks concert, in partnership with Tempo. Bahamian artists, Puzzle, Stileet, D-Mac and Fanshawn will perform.